Yu-Gi-Oh! Zenith
by DDDAmaroq
Summary: Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, there's an island where people pay out the nose to watch professional actors play card games. In a nearby fishing village lost in time, the chief expects his son to learn the ways of the trade, but the boy has different aspirations. Maybe he's more unique than he realizes... Completely OC; INCLUDES YGOPRO-READY DOWNLOADS FOR ALL CUSTOM CARDS
1. Chapter 1 - Other Plans

"He has brought chaos to our most beautiful creation."

"Lock him away and never set him free."

"But what if he, with such terrible power, is able to overcome our own?"

"Grant them the chance to save themselves. Their fates will be the same as ours."

"SHIO!" a masculine and impatient voice boomed from between the wooden floorboards. It, along with the first glimpses of the morning light, wriggled its way through the entirely-too large cracks among the planks that comprised the foundation of the building's second story. The upstairs consisted of only a single room, whose various paintings and knick knacks injected an atmosphere of droll appeasement during the daytime, but currently remained obscured by the shadows. Along the floor was scattered an uncountable number of small pieces of paper, each of which would proudly display a different work of fantastical art, if only the candles had not been reduced to mere puddles of wax the night before.

Somewhere among all the undisturbed parchment, in the center of the room, lay a jumbled assortment of blankets with a single brown-cased pillow approximately 3 feet away. Amid the chaotic sleeping arrangement lay the equally disorganized human responsible for the mess, a boy no more than fifteen turned flat on his stomach, long, brown hair fallen around his head like a wet mop. The sound of an angry man shouting crept delicately into his dormant brain, going unprocessed for more than a few seconds, before a sudden jolt of lightning sprung it alive again. The sudden impulses surging through the boy's body shot him straight off the floor and onto his feet- and back onto the floor again after his head made an unexpected collision with the low ceiling.

"Ah!" the boy stumbled back onto his feet, rubbing his head where it had run into the crossbeam. _No blood, could've been worse_ , he optimistically consoled himself.

"There you are!" came the voice from downstairs again. "It's about time you got your lazy butt out of bed!"

The boy stumbled up and began to prepare to go downstairs, but as he frantically ran to where his clothes were lazily strewn-about, his foot felt something other than splintery wood. He looked down, and suddenly remembered what he had been up all night doing. "Oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap!" he muttered to himself, as he crawled around the floor of his room, shoving each piece of paper into his- he had no pockets, or pants for that matter! He set his collection down on the floor and ran back over to his clothes. So many thoughts were running through his head, each idea shouting over the others in an attempt to get the boy's attention, but the most urgent was putting on pants. He finally slipped on his baggy burlap trousers, tied a rope around his waist to keep them in place, and immediately lunged back to where he stacked the old, stained papers he had collected so desperately, accidentally knocking them over in the process, scattering them back around the floor. He needed those papers, but he didn't have time to pick them up all over again- his dad would know something was wrong and come upstairs. He needed an excuse...

The boy hobbled slowly down the stairs, a feat made excessively difficult by the fact that the stairs more closely resembled a ladder than a set of traditional steps. His hand gently rubbed his head where it had been violently struck by the aggressive ceiling- or at least that's what he wanted his father to believe. He made his way towards one of the other three rooms in the house- the kitchen. This room, like the entire building, was constructed from uneven wooden beams, but the floor remained strong enough to support the weight of all the shelves, pots, cauldrons, and furniture. The marvels of Mizumuran engineering never ceased to amaze him- despite residing so close to the Mainland, their culture and architectural style had been minimally influenced by their surroundings. Sometimes he wondered how a lot of these structures were possible, but he had lived his entire life trusting the integrity of his village's construction, and it hadn't gotten him killed yet.

When he reached the kitchen, his father was facing away from him towards the round mahogany table in the center of the room.

 _Two chairs_ , the boy noticed for what must have been the three hundredth time in the past year.

His father stood before him, a giant of a man dressed sparingly but heavily. Accommodating cloth trousers littered with uncountable pockets covered his hard-working legs, held up by a rope around his waist. Adorning the man's muscular torso was a plain beige cotton blend, unmatching with the pants, but sufficient enough to keep his appearance modest and unoffending. His unkempt, brown hair twirled as the man's square head turned to face the boy.

"What the hell are you doing in my house without a shirt?" his father barked, his temper outwardly nearing the end of a short fuse.

"What?" the boy phonily inquired, dropping his eyes to his own bare chest, just to sell the lie. He let a shocked expression form on his face before settling into the embarrassment. "Sorry, I'm really tired and I hit my head getting up…" _At least that much is true_ , he thought.

"Up all night preparing for your first real day as a fisherman?" The look of anger twisted into an amicable, yet condescending grin. "You know, Shio, tiring yourself out makes you more likely to get pulled into the sea by a big ol' sturgeon! And I don't want everybody in the village to talk about Mr. Furo as the one whose son became the first to get fished from his boat!"

Shio's father reached out and grabbed his son's head in the bend of his arm, playfully pulling the boy into his chest. The two of them laughed hardily, until it actually began to hurt. Shio knew his father was only joking, but a cold shock surged through his body when his mind processed the empty threat he had just heard- his father had just admitted how dangerous fishing could be; also, he barely knew what a sturgeon was. Then he remembered the decision he had finally made the previous night, and none of his dad's water talk mattered anymore.

"I didn't mean to stay up," Shio lied. "It's just so hard to fall asleep up there on the hard floor." Truthfully, he was used to sleeping on the floor, but it never did suit him very well.

"I let you live in my workshop not because I want you to be comfortable, but because I have a responsibility to make sure you are taken care of!"

"Well, I wouldn't really call it living. It's really small, and the blankets don't make it any softer, and sometimes my foot gets stuck between the floorboards."

"A fisherman never complains about the mood of the ocean! It is only when he tames it does it ever settle," his father scolded.

Shio rubbed the back of his head, trying not to seem like he was talking back. "Couldn't you just get me a real bed?"

His father turned away and shrugged. "Well I hear the ocean _is_ very inviting this time of year, why don't you go check it out?" The man looked back before throwing his large hands in the air, then leaning back into Shio's face. "You wouldn't want to get on its bad side, would you?"

"Okay, okay, sorry," Shio conceded, tilting his head downwards, shortly afterwards recalling that he was still pretending to listen to his father's instructions. _Gotta sell this_ , he thought. "Wait, are you trying to scare me before my first day with that sturgeon thing?" To be truthful, however, Shio was scared. The thought of being out on the open sea with nothing but water in sight was one of the most terrifying things he could imagine, despite the fact that he had experienced it countless times. Nobody can predict everything that could be lurking beneath, and that makes preparing nigh-impossible.

"There's nothing wrong with being brutally honest, Shio. That's why I'm such a respected member of the Mizumura Fishing Union!" retorted Shio's father, pounding his puffed-out chest triumphantly.

Shio slumped over, visibly exhausted from the mere mention of his father's work. _Please don't start talking about your fishing union_ , he begged silently. His father had a tendency to share his life's accomplishments with every opportunity he recognized, something Shio had witnessed first-hand on numerous occasions and would do almost anything not to hear again. At risk of subjecting himself to the horrors of his dad's life story, Shio apologized again for forgetting his shirt, and hobbled- climbed- slowly back up the poor excuse for a staircase. As he ascended to the second floor, he took extra time to exaggerate the amount of painstaking effort he had to exert in order to make it all the way back to where his morning had just begun. The more lethargic he looked in front of his father now, the less suspicion he would arouse when he took longer than expected to simply put on a shirt.

Once he finally made it to the top of the stair-ladder, he promptly pulled the shirt he had previously set aside over his head before doing anything else, just in case he had to leave before he finished cleaning up. If he had a mirror, he would have seen just how uninteresting he looked in the rugged, tan getup that was comfortably draped across his torso. He did, however, notice that the light had seeped into his father's workshop remarkably quickly- he had only spent a few minutes downstairs, and the various fishing rods and tackle boxes the fisherman had spent the years collecting were already beginning to emerge from their own slumber and start their busy days of sitting on the wall. Shio then did his best to quickly pick up the scattered pieces of paper without making much sound on the floor. If his dad heard him running around, his cover would be completely blown.

"Thirty-four, thirty-five," he counted as he collected each sheet from the floor, not paying attention to which was which. "Thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-nine…" Something was wrong. He _knew_ there were supposed to be forty sheets, but there was nothing left on the floor. He quickly circled around the room one more time to make sure he hadn't simply overlooked the remaining one, but his efforts proved fruitless. Disappointed, but not wanting to set off his father's internal lie detector, Shio did his best to put on a neutral face as he returned to the first floor of his house. _What if losing that one means I'm disobeying my dad for nothing?_ he worried silently. He began to run through hypothetical scenarios in his head to reassure himself that everything would be okay, but he was cut short by his father's unshaken voice.

"Well it looks like somebody figured out how to get dressed!" the man scolded again as he set the final bowl down on the kitchen table. The floor creaked as Shio made his way to the chair opposite of where his father had just taken his seat. He looked down at the bowl in front of him- fish soup. _What a surprise... At least it isn't just broth this time,_ he consoled himself.

As the two ate their soup, Mr. Furo began to give Shio advice for his first day- general fishing tips, ways to stay safe, and the best methods for kissing up to his master. Of course, Shio's brain registered none of this incoming information, because he was too focused on remembering the directions he had received the previous day. When he finished eating, he took his bowl over to a table next to the wall- he would wash it later. As he turned around to leave, his father stood up from his seat to offer one last piece of advice.

"And don't cut yourself on any spears, ya hear? You don't want to attract sharks... _when_ you fall in!"

 _Very funny, Dad._

He made his way to the front- and only- door of the house and said one final goodbye to his father. As he stepped into the open air, he was greeted with the familiar sight of his home village.

The instant he crossed the threshold, a short gust of refreshing highwind began to dance on his face as it ran down the cliffside to which several wooden balconies and bridges were anchored. The port town of Mizumura made itself in fishing, and the dirt streets that narrowly squeezed between buildings and river straits certainly showed it. Always bustling and noisy, the market area above which Shio resided served as the de-facto center of town, where fishermen and farmer alike congregated to sell and auction off their products. Hanging from the rock face opposite that of Shio's were more buildings just like his own home, connected by overpasses, enhanced with ornate lights made from thinned-out dried fruit skins and stuffed with candles. This method of decoration seemed a bit primitive, even to the residents, but hanging on to the remnants of traditionalism pleased them, so they never longed for an upgrade.

Shio hurried down the series of stairs and ladders, expertly jumping levels and ducking under railings as he had done countless times before. He reached the street in a matter of seconds, but none of the people took notice to the boy's grand entrance, for it was nothing strange for an energetic youngster to hurl himself down to the ground as quickly as possible in an attempt to beat another there. This time was different, though. This time, Shio was not racing with anyone. He was simply eager to reach his destination.

As he made his way through the market square that spanned both sides of the river, as well as the wide, wooden, raft-like bridge created for the sole purpose of the market's expansion, Shio received not a single passing glance from the busy crowd of tanned inhabitants- too enthralled by the economic wonderland of pottery and giant fish to notice their leader's son, no doubt. As usual, there seemed to be an even split among those who wore clothes comprised of modern blends and those who preferred more traditional woolen gowns and leather sashes- a testament to Mizumura's cultural combination of its contemporary surroundings and the customs that built the village as an indigenous society.

Shio always understood why people held onto the past, but still couldn't help but question those who considered modernized Mizumurans traitors to their own kind. His father, as the village head, always refused to reveal any partisan affiliation in order to maintain his relationship with the population, but Shio had been able to infer that the man most likely sided with the traditionalists more often than not. Perhaps it was that sense of traditionalism that drove his desire for his son to take up fishing. _No, of course,_ thought Shio, _there's no doubt at all._

Past the marketplace was a steep cliff face where a beautiful waterfall reflected the light of the setting sun each evening. It emptied not directly into the ocean, but instead into a shallow lagoon in which many ceremonies and recreations regularly took place. Farther, just beyond the frequently-flooded embankment, the vast ocean spanned into the horizon, out into the world unknown.

Shio gazed off into the endless expanse of blue. The lack of waves undulating across the surface kept the waters perfectly still to the point where Shio had to look closely to ensure he was not actually staring at an incredibly-well-woven blue rug. The absolute tranquility deprived him of his senses for a brief, motionless moment, almost making him forget how terrifying the ocean was, until a wind suddenly rushed in from the sea. A heavy wind! A wind that almost knocked Shio off his feet! A supernatural wind. He closed his eyes and leaned forward, into the howling gale that seemed intent on overpowering the boy. Shielding his face with his arms, palms reaching out as if telling the air to stop what it was doing, Shio planted his feet and simply waited- there was nothing else to be done. Eventually, after a few extra-long seconds, it stopped.

Shio regained his balance and looked over his shoulder to assess the damage of the market behind him. He did not want to be the next head of the village, but some lessons from his training had become habitual. Miraculously though, nothing had been knocked over. All the giant fish were hanging just as lifelessly as before, all the pottery remained in-tact on the tables, and most curiously, nobody seemed confused or bothered at all. _Did they not notice that?_ , he could only wonder.

He pondered for several moments before remembering that he had no time to sit around and think about what had just happened. Shaking the thought from his mind, he ran from the vista, farther from the market, until he reached a narrow slope that ran up the side of Mizumura's gargantuan outer wall on the half opposite of his home. This was the back passageway out of the village and into the mainland of Hondo.

It took him a good half hour of crossing the great grass plateau before he spotted buildings in the distance. He could see the crude dirt trail end up ahead as it met the start of a paved road. _This looks like the right place_ , Shio thought, pulling a note from his pocket. 'Our paths will cross where the paths cross,' it read. _This guy thinks he's really something, doesn't he?_ Then, as if responding to Shio's thought, someone interjected.

"There you are! I thought you were just gonna ditch me!"

Shio turned sharply to face the impatient cockney voice, but he could not see anybody nearby. Looking all around, only tall, yellow grass, the path, and the road were in sight. After a few seconds, it came again.

"Down here!"

Shio turned his head again, this time towards the ground on his left. He still, briefly, did not see the person to whom the voice belonged, until he spotted a patch of grass that was rustling more violently than the rest. Finally, there stood a boy whose expression resembled that of a mother who had just witnessed her child eating a cookie after being told not to four times.

"Sorry I'm late!" Shio apologized. "My dad almost saw me carrying _these_ out of the house," he said, pulling the papers from his pocket, "and then he wanted to talk to me about-"

"It's alright," the other boy interrupted. "I'm just messin' with you. Enjoying the weather, ya'know?" His pale face formed a smug grin as the orange light of the rising sun reflected off his bleach-blonde hair. Longer than wide, and wider than none, his entire frame seemed to fit in among the tall blades of grass in which he had been lying only moments before.

 _It's a good thing I met him outside the town_ , thought Shio. _He could NOT blend in with us at all!_ And he was right. In a word, the most fitting description he found was "shiny." The boy's skin tone alone would have been enough to draw vexed glares from every resident of the village. Not to mention his blinding hair color and weird mixed-blend clothing. Sneaking around with him would have been about as discreet as setting the market on fire, which was another thing Shio would never do.

"Well let's not waste time standing around getting acquainted," the foreigner suggested. "We can do that while we walk."

Shio complied, and the two stepped onto the road, and began their journey towards the town.

"Your name was what again?" the guy asked.

"Shio, and you were…?"

"Hoseki."

"Okay, thanks." _Thanks? Who says thanks to that?_

"Uh, yeah mate," he responded, mildly perplexed, before deciding to change the subject. "So what exactly were you hoping to accomplish with us?"

 _Oh jeez, this is an interview?_ Shio thought, but he managed to come up with a pretty good answer. "Well, over the years I've overheard a lot of conversations around the village. Some of the modernists who visit the mainland used to talk about all the cool things they saw during their trips."

"Modernists?" Hoseki interrupted.

"Oh yeah. My village is pretty split between people who want to assimilate with the mainland and people who want to keep to ourselves. The modernists think we should start making ourselves more like you guys- and they dress like that too. They buy clothes from the towns up north and everything. The traditionalists think we should keep doing what we've been doing for centuries."

Hoseki ran his eyes up and down Shio's clothing. "So are you a traditionalist?"

"You think I'd be walking with you right now if I was?" They laughed. "My dad says I'm not supposed to take sides. That's why I wear this. And I kinda have to listen to him since he's- well, not only my dad- he's also our chief."

"Oh wow! Your dad runs the place? What does he think about all that?"

"Publicly? He tries to ignore it altogether. He can't keep doing it forever though. Eventually he's gonna have to pick a side, so I don't know where we're gonna end up. I try not to worry about it."

"Not worry about it? But if he's the chief, doesn't that mean you're gonna replace him one day?"  
"Don't remind me." They laughed again. Several seconds passed in which neither boy thought of anything to say, until Hoseki remembered his previous question.

"Oh yeah, you never finished telling me about why you're here."

"Oh yeah, that's right. Well..." Shio trailed off.

"Well…?"

"I've heard so many stories about what goes on outside my village, but honestly, none of them made it seem like the outside world had anything to offer me. But…" He paused. Hoseki motioned him to continue. "...but one time, one of the fishermen who had come back from one of your towns told us about a performance he saw while he was there."

Hoseki laughed at 'one of _your_ towns' but nevertheless continued the conversation. "A Duel?"

"Yeah, a Duel. But the way he described it- the costumes, the excitement, the uncertainty of what was gonna happen next- I had never heard of anything like that before. I was like... an angelfish hearing about the deep trenches for the first time!"

Hoseki didn't know how to respond to that.

"Oh, sorry. I should try to stay away from the fishing metaphors."

"Well, technically, it's a simile," Hoseki mumbled.

"A what?"

"Nevermind... So you decided to give dueling a shot, huh?"

"Yeah, and I can't believe I actually got a chance to do it! But to be honest, I'm pretty worried that everyone is gonna be way better than me. I mean you've been a duelist for how long? You'd probably crush me."

"Well," Hoseki grinned, tickled by Shio's compliment, "that _is_ true." Shio gave him a strange look after he stopped talking for several seconds, lost in self-centered thought. Hoseki shook himself awake. "But I'm not really one of the duelists. I'm a recruiter."

Shio zoned out for a several minutes, and it seemed his new acquaintance was content to walk in silence as well. He could barely make out some details of the buildings in the distance before either spoke again, but he eventually had something to say. "So what does a recruiter do anyway?" he inquired. "I mean, I get that you recruit people, but that can't be it, right? I mean, how do you find people in Hondo of all places?"

"Well it's my job to go out to different areas and scout around, find talented duelists, assess their abilities, and hopefully get them accepted by the League."

Shio was flattered… for about half a second. Then he realized something. "Wait, but I've never dueled before. Why are you bringing ME in?" Hoseki winced. He knew this question was coming but had been trying to avoid it.

"Well, uhm, we've had a pretty rough season. Let's just leave it at that."

As they approached the outskirts of the town, Shio began to feel a bit like an angelfish in a deep trench, and the feeling only strengthened when they entered the city. All around him stood buildings, but not ones like he had seen before. Perfectly straight walls with no signs of wear, triangular paneled roofs, glass windows. Nothing looked like it creaked at all. He could only wonder what the floors inside them looked like! And the furniture! He observed all the people walking around the town as he did, in and out of buildings just like the market kiosks back home, but each person was wearing something totally unique and going quickly past one-another, barely making eye contact. _That's kinda rude_ , he thought as a kid bumped into him. He watched a woman he could only assume to be a tailor enter a large brick building with magnificent white dresses on display in the window as his mind was continuously assaulted with questions. _How do they make their clothes? These houses are huge! How big are their families? Where is the market? What kind of fish racks do they use? No, forget that last one._

Hoseki, noticing Shio's piscine expression, tried to provide some relief. "Yeah, it's not the nicest part of Hondo, sorry." Before Shio could respond, they arrived at their destination. "Here we are." Before them stood a structure so grand in both size and presentation that Shio felt ashamed for being too distracted to notice it. Its walls were made entirely of glass panels interspersed with curved metal arches that spanned all three stories and then some. Inside, Shio could already see wondrously jagged grey balconies, no doubt fitted with the same blue carpet that lined the floor of the bottom level. This was the place that fisherman had told him about, the Theatre. Hoseki walked up and grabbed the front door's metal handle. "Yeah this town has a thing for the arts. That's why this building looks so nice," he said, before politely instructing Shio to enter.

 _Wow_ , he thought, taking his first step into the building. It even _smelled_ pristine and expensive. All the walls were sleek and shiny, with screens adorning several of the walls near large, finished wooden doors. Hoseki caught up and began walking briskly in front of Shio, leading him to their next location. _I'll have to explore it another time, I guess._

"You still got your cards?" Hoseki asked.

"Yeah!" Shio excitedly replied, pulling the papers from his pocket. He was beyond ready to actually get to use the things he had designed.

"Good, I'm gonna introduce you to Sheila. She works the Card Verification desk. She can hook you up with a full deck for free as long as you're an auditionee and have the whole thing ready."

"Really? That's amazing!"  
"Yeah, just don't be too… enthusiastic. She's not the most approachable person."

"Hoseki!" croaked a supposedly-feminine voice from across the hallway. The two got close enough to the counter whose sign read "Card Verification" for Shio to see a fair-skinned woman with long-dark hair resting her head on her fist. "You finally found a duelist, huh?"

"Very funny Sheila, but you know I'm the best recruiter you've ever met."

"In two years of working here, you've scouted literally one duelist ever," she bluntly retorted with raised eyebrows, nose upturned.

Hoseki, exposed and panicked, quickly glanced at Shio, who was silently chuckling but biting his lips together to hide his amusement.

"Uh, that may be true," Hoseki regained himself, "But do you remember who that duelist was, right?"

"Just gimme the cards, kid," she said, changing her focus to Shio. He reached into his pocket and grabbed the sheets he had prepared, excitedly handing them to her. She snatched them out of his hand and quickly thumbed through them, forming a confused expression as she finished. She took a second pass, and this time, Shio could see her head bob with each card she passed as her mouth silently counted them. "Sorry, you're missing one."

 _Crap! I knew this would happen!_ "Well that shouldn't be a problem, right? It's just one." He was more worried about his father finding his missing card than his duel being messed up... that is, until he turned to Hoseki, who was biting his lip.

"Sorry," Sheila spoke with a hint of sympathy, "We validate decks, and you only have thirty-nine cards here."

"I _know_ I made all forty of them!" Shio pleaded. "Can't you just do the thirty-nine I have?"

"Sorry kid," Sheila replied, her long hair draped over the hand that anxiously rubbed her forehead, "If you want us to validate your cards, you're gonna have to get the full deck bundle or pay for each of them on their own. Those are your options."

"But that's ridiculous!" Shio protested.

"I know, but I can't bend the rules."

Shio looked expectantly at Hoskei, whose face indicated he did not want to participate in this discussion. "I agreed to take you to the audition, not to pay for your deck," he said, waving his hands in front of him.

Shio sighed. "Well can't I just play without the last card? That would just put me at a disadvantage anyway, right?"

Hoseki laughed as the side of his mouth curled. "On the contrary, you'd be surprised what people would do to play with only thirty-nine cards!"

Shio let out a frustrated groan. He wasn't about to let this be what stopped him. "Well is there anything I can do?"

"Well…" Hoseki started, as Shio perked up. "You could use a lender deck, but you'd be hard-pressed to impress anybody with one of those!"

"Are there any other options?"  
"Not really."

"Well then that's what I'll do!" He injected some artificial optimism into his words.

Shio turned towards Sheila, whose eyes were now closed. "I guess I'll just borrow a deck then."

She perked up, revealing a red mark on her face where her hand had been. "Huh, okay. Just a sec." She fumbled around in the back for a few seconds before returning with a slick black plastic box in hand. "Here you go."

Shio held the deck box in both hands as he gazed at it like a mesmerized child. Then, realizing how weird he looked, he shoved it into his oversized pocket. "Thank you," he kindly replied to the woman, who was fast asleep.

"Is she high or something?" Shio asked. "Some people in my village one time-"

"She's been working harder than usual for the past few weeks." Hoseki gestured Shio to walk with him. "Cut her some slack."

Hoseki guided Shio to a small meeting room with nothing but blue plastic chairs and a single wood table for him to study his deck. An hour or so passed before the blonde returned to retrieve his new friend.

The boys walked down the hallway until they reached a door that looked so inconspicuous that you almost couldn't miss it. On the front, it simply read, "AUDITIONS". Shio's stomach began to turn as he entered.

The turning became lurching when he saw what awaited him inside. The large square room featured a single pathway down from the center of each wall to the circular stage in its center, presumably where he and Hoseki would be dueling, but that wasn't what bothered him. The surrounding area was filled with quarter-circular rows of velvety chairs, but that wasn't what bothered him. In the middle of the room, above the stage, there was a four-sided box hanging down from the ceiling with status displays and "Turn" and "LP" written above them, but that wasn't what bothered him. What bothered him was around the stage, in the chairs, facing the score box: the people who had gathered to watch the audition.

"You didn't tell me there would be people here!" Shio complained.

"Haha, whoops," Hoseki mused.

"I don't know if I can do this."

"Look, if you wanna be a professional, you're gonna hafta get used to being in front of an audience. That's what this business is all about."

Shio sighed and kept walking. When he reached the stage, Hoseki motioned him to acknowledge three overdressed individuals in the front row. Shio could barely see them, but politely- and nervously- introduced himself. The one on the left, a woman, said something to him that he didn't hear before Hoseki grabbed him by the arm.

"You ready?"

"Okay," he said, and the two took their places at opposite ends of the stage.

The crowd was disappointingly small to Hoseki, but Shio felt as if the entire world had gathered to watch. _I can't believe I'm actually here_ , he thought, barely able to contain his excitement. In truth, his feelings would have escaped if not for the overwhelming amount of attention focused on him, a brand new experience which intimidated the young performer. Shio's hands shook nervously despite his best efforts to control them while the unyielding eyes of his first-ever audience gazed eagerly into his soul, dying to witness the spectacle that was to come.

"Ladies and gentlemen," boomed a man's voice from all around the room. The crowd erupted into the loudest cheers Shio had ever heard at the sound of the announcement. "The Audition Duel! Let's introduce the duelists!"

Shio could barely make out the sound of the intercom over the roar of the crowd. He had witnessed, and participated in, boisterous applause in the past, regularly even- when the fisherman returned from a long voyage or the boat parades passed through the inner channel at solstice, but never in his life had he been right in the center of it. Amid the screams assaulting his ears, he was able to catch the voice say Hoseki's last name- _Williams, what a weird name_. Anything would do to take his mind off the crowd and calm him down. _Deep breaths_ , he thought.

Shio inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. Soon, the only thing in front of him would be Hoseki and his field of creatures, and that was all that mattered- the next few minutes were going to change his path forever. He pushed the air out through his nostrils and opened his eyes with the widest smile of his life. "Duel!" both boys shouted, as the scoreboard above their heads lit up and the audience around them began to fade out of sight.

* * *

Author's note:

All original cards can be downloaded for use in YGOPro (Links beta) from my profile.


	2. Chapter 2 - Slaying the Dragon

**Turn 1 - Hoseki (LP: 4000 | Hand: 5 )**

Shio had never seen such advanced technology before. He could no longer hear the shouts from the audience- it appeared to him as if a magic veil had just descended from the ceiling and removed them from the plane of reality. His arms dropped for a moment as he looked around in disbelief. There was nothing but cavern wall on every side of him, with a neon green grid running along the floor. _So this is what Hoseki meant by "virtual reality"_ , he realized. No sooner had Shio's mouth fallen open than had Hoseki shouted from across the holographic cave.

"You really are oblivious to the world of dueling, aren't you?" Shio's head snapped upwards to face his accoster. He could tell it was a harmless taunt, but his heart filled with a new determination to show off his potential. _I may not win, but I want to show him that I can learn!_

"Nothing to it!" Shio yelled back. _I'm not gonna let him get to me. It's on my honor as a Mizumuran to give any competition everything I've got!_

"If you say so!"

Shio centered his attention on the duel. _Five cards each, second player gets to draw one more._ Shio recounted all the rules he had studied rigorously the night before. _One summon per turn- Nothing Hoseki does is gonna give me reason to worry. I'm gonna be fine._

"Alright then, mate," Hoseki laughed, "let's get started!" He picked up one card in his free hand without looking at it and held it up for Shio to see. _Yellow, a Normal monster._

"I Normal Summon Luster Dragon!" Hoseki exclaimed as he placed the card into an empty slot on his Duel Disk. As the card locked into place, a strange light shone from the ground in front of Shio's opponent, out of a section of the grid. Shio shielded his eyes with the Disk on his arm, until the light finally dissipated, revealing a sapphire-colored dragon that towered over both young duelists. It stood with its legs bent in a crouching position, as if preparing to pounce, with one of its massive claws on the ground like a racer on the starting block and the other remaining close to its abdomen, like a butler acknowledging his master. Although it had protrusions from its back, the beast did not appear to be capable of flight, as its wings were nothing more than scaley bones, hanging like a willow tree, devoid of the membrane necessary to harness the wind. As Shio's petrified gaze scanned to the top of the monster, he noticed its head was cocked to one side with empty glaring eyes, staring deeply into his own.

(Level: 4 | ATK: 1900 | DEF: 1600)

 _No way…_ Shio had suspected something like this might happen after he saw his surroundings change, but he had no idea the monsters would be so large. Hoseki's smug grin returned.

"Well, what do you think? You still want to be a duelist? It's not too late to quit!" he taunted as he positioned his head to imitate his monster.

 _I've heard stories of gigantic fish, but this… This has to be on a whole other level!_ Shio stood frozen in front of the dragon, its unmoving eyes fixated on the petrified child, breathing only heavily enough to indicate it was truly alive. _No, it's not real. There's no reason to be scared_ , he reconciled as he shook the cowardice from his head. _Besides, he's wrong! I've made my choice now! There's no going back!_

Shio's stance tightened as he leaned forward with renewed motivation. Now convinced he was prepared to face anything this guy threw at him, he flung his arm into the air and pointed dramatically at Hoseki in a show of manufactured confidence.

"I want you to show me everything!"

"Very well then!" Hoseki continued, "I activate the Continuous Spell Card, Gem Dragon's Luster!" Hoseki yelled as he placed another card into his Disk. A large image of a green-bordered card with a close-up of a sparkling blue dragon eye materialized like a phantom in front of him in the same color as the monster on the field. "That does it for my turn!"

 _Continuous Spells,_ thought Shio. _Those stay on the field as long as they aren't removed. He activated that card but didn't do anything- he must be planning to do something with it on my turn._

"You think you can trick me with that Spell Card?" Shio proudly shouted at his opponent.

"Probably!" Hoseki teased. Shio winced at the insult... but made a quick recovery.

"We'll just have to see then. My turn! Draw!"

 **Turn 2 - Shio (LP: 4000 | Hand: 6)**

Shio looked down at the cards in his hand, trying to remember what each of them did. Each turn had a time limit displayed by a slowly-descending bar on the scoreboard, so he had no time to read them carefully. _I have to trust my memory from the briefing_ , he thought. _I just have to act! I'm through with second guessing myself! I'm gonna show Hoseki how great of a duelist I can be!_ He played his first card, excitedly slamming it onto the Duel Disk.

"I Normal Summon Fairy Tail - Snow!" In the same flash of blinding light that he had witnessed the previous turn, Shio's first monster servant had appeared before him. An adorable white rabbit arose from the ground a few feet in front of Shio. Her puffy, blue dress complemented by a golden seam popped out, accentuated by a blood-red cape which concealed the creature's back but allowed her long, bushy tail to be seen curling up behind her, raised far enough to proudly display the crimson bowtie on its end above the matching one that adorned her head. She squeaked gleefully as she hopped up and down, eager to play with new opponents.

(Level: 4 | ATK: 1850 | DEF: 1000)

 _So this is what it feels like to summon a monster. I feel so... powerful._ Shio spent a moment reveling in the euphoria, but knew he could not let his inexperience show. He spoke confidently once more.

"But that's not all! Even though my Snow can't destroy your dragon now, it won't stay that way for long!" _Yes! I have him! That Spell Card doesn't give him any extra defense points!_ "When she's summoned, I get to flip one of your monsters face-down, and you know what I'm gonna pick!"

"Of course," obliged Hoseki, as the stunning blue shimmer of his monster disappeared, replaced by the holographic image of a sideways, brown-backed card. Shio laughed at how pathetic the monster that had terrified him before now appeared. The nerves inside him had calmed, but his placidity faded as he made a realization.

 _Something's wrong,_ he thought. _Hoseki's not worried… No, he's trying to bluff me. He might have experience with dueling, but I didn't spend all night studying for nothing._

"Fairy Tail - Snow," Shio commanded, "Attack the face-down Luster Dragon!" The rabbit obeyed Shio's command, hopping towards the face-down card, tail and both bowties bouncing with each gleeful step, before springboarding herself high into the air and delivering a surprisingly-heavy drop kick to the hologram. The dragon reappeared briefly, hunkered down with arms crossed in a guard stance before the card beneath shattered under the weight of the lapine paw, taking the form of the sapphire giant with it. The rabbit landed gracefully where Luster Dragon once stood, gave Hoseki a wide smile and sharp wink, and in one fierce leap, she had returned to her original position in front of her master. Shio threw his arms up triumphantly and cheered.

"Not as weak as you thought, am I?"

"You haven't impressed me yet," responded Hoseki with a condescending smirk.

Shio was shocked. He had just defeated Hoseki's dragon, but he didn't seem at all fazed. "But your field is empty!" he argued. Shio stared at his opponent's smile for a few seconds before realizing what had happened. His eyes widened. _Oh no, I forgot about-_

"By sending Luster Dragon to my Graveyard, you've triggered the effect of the Spell I activated earlier!" Hoseki raised his hand into the air as the image of the Dragon's Eye shone brightly, as if the boy was invoking some sort of ancient magic. The once-deep-blue scales around the eye turned a brilliant crimson, and the card rose higher into the air. More scales filled in past the borders of the image, completely covering the hologram with the physical form of a new threat. No sooner had Shio's anger with himself subsided than the red scales had consummated into the body of a great ruby dragon, which now stood in the place of the deep sapphire runt that had just been destroyed.

 _How could I have been so short-sighted?_ Shio berated himself, forehead-in-palm. _I could have played so much better, but all I cared about was destroying his monster!_ His thoughts were cut short by his opponent's voice.

"Welcome, Luster Dragon Number 3!" Hoseki called with confident eyes and a grin that stretched from ear to ear. The dragon responded to its master with an ear-splitting roar as a pair of gargantuan red wings stretched across the back wall of the cave.

(Level: 8 | ATK: 2900 | DEF: 1200)

Springing alert, Shio still hardly noticed the sound- the sheer size of the monster sent a cold shock through his entire body and made him completely forget about his mistake. _I've never seen anything so massive! This has to be at least five times the size of the other one!_ His renewed timidity must have manifested itself as quivering limbs, as the dragon's master immediately launched another taunt his way.

"Are you ready to call it quits and go be a fisherman?"

This was enough to snap Shio out of his trance. "Of course not!" he shouted. _There's no way I'm letting him get to me again. If this is going to be my life, then I have to get used to being around monsters like these! I can't afford to be scared!_ He looked up at the scoreboard- he had wasted most of his turn beating himself up over his mistake. He turned his gaze back down to his hand- nothing else he could do without another Normal Summon.

"I end my turn," Shio said calmly, hoping Hoseki had no way of ending the duel yet.

"Alright then," Hoseki noted. "You're not _that_ bad for a first-timer." Shio scowled at him. "But I'm afraid you really don't stand a chance. Aww, Don't feel bad, I am one of the best duelists among the Recruiters after all," he shrugged and shook his head, but realizing the failure of his continued taunting, disappointedly returned to the realm of seriousness. "Draw!"

 **Turn 3 - Hoseki (LP: 4000 | Hand: 4)**

Hoseki grabbed the card on the top of his deck and whipped his hand far behind him. He looked back as he turned his wrist, not caring if he bled to his opponent. He grinned at Shio again, as he placed the new card into one of the back slots of his Duel Disk.

"I activate Foolish Burial to send one Monster Card from my deck to my Graveyard!"

A green-bordered hologram materialized on the field, as a floating shovel began to dig into the ground in front of the stone cross that had also just appeared. Shio could barely make out the image of a yellow card falling into the newly-dug hole before the holograms vanished. _He sent another Luster Dragon, but why?_ Shio pondered. He glanced up at Hoseki, who was silently smiling, waiting for Shio to figure it out. _Of course! That Spell Card never left the field! He's gonna summon another dragon!_

"So you're gonna use the effect of Gem Dragon's Luster again?" Shio asked.

"You catch on quickly!" Hoseki confirmed as the image of a blue dragon's eye appeared once more, and again scales began to sculpt a beautiful red dragon. Shio knew exactly what was happening this time, and now feared for his Life Points instead of his life.

"I summon a second Luster Dragon Number 3!" Hoseki shouted at Shio's face of intense worry.

(Level: 8 | ATK: 2900 | DEF: 1200)

"Now!" Hoseki wasted no time, "The first of my dragons attacks your Fairy Tail - Snow! Dazzling Ruby Inferno!" The great red dragon's neck undulated like the body of a snake as its malicious eyes locked onto the rabbit. Its head tilted back briefly as its belly filled with air, before opening its mouth to launch a barrage of searing flames straight towards the poor woodland creature. She bent down and covered her head with her front paws, shaking rapidly as the fire approached. The hologram mercilessly shattered into pieces, as Shio watched his Life Point count drop on the scoreboard through the billowing smoke.

(ATK: 2900 - ATK: 1850 | Shio LP: 4000 → 2950)

Under normal circumstances, he would have trouble breathing, but this smoke was purely visual, so Shio's lungs remained unharmed, much to his surprise. It felt truly bizarre to be standing in the thickest gray cloud he had ever seen, breathing undisturbed. Despite this, he could not stop thinking about how overpowering Hoseki's strategy felt. Nothing in his hand stood a chance of defeating the endless barrage of dragons he was facing. _How do I beat this?_ He had hardly finished his thought before Hoseki continued his assault on Shio's Life Points.

"Now, my second dragon, attack Shio directly!"

As the second inferno made its way towards him, Shio's entire body tensed. He pulled his arms in to shield his grimacing face, his leg muscles tightened, and his toes dug into the ground.

"Aaaaaaagh!" he let out an anguished cry despite the fact that he felt no pain- it was more of a reflex than a reaction. _At least that doesn't hurt_ , he consoled himself.

(ATK: 2900 | Shio LP: 2950 → 50)

He watched his Life Points drop once again, the number 50 appearing in an emboldened red to indicate the peril of the situation. _I wonder what the crowd is thinking right now. No doubt they're disappointed with how one-sided this duel is._ Shio's face dropped, and he looked down at his feet, still planted where he received the attack. _Maybe I'm just not cut out for competition, at least not yet. With the pathetic show I've put on, what could any trainer possibly see in me? It's just… I won't get another opportunity._ He picked himself back up. _No! It has to be now! If I can't impress them with flashy plays, I'll just have to win outright! But how…?_

Suddenly, Shio remembered an irritatingly-persistent story his father once told him that must have stowed away in his long-term memory, despite his best efforts to forget.

* * *

Mr. Furo was out on the open, endless sea, aboard a boisterously-large vessel with other members of the Mizumura Fishing Union on a long-term voyage. That time of the year, they always went out in search of larger and more exotic fish that could command higher market prices farther inland- they always claimed they didn't need the outside world, but who were they kidding? The crew hadn't had much luck with their expedition- they had a few mediocre catches, but nothing that would help the island beyond giving them a little bit of food. They needed a miracle if they wanted please the market-goers of the Mainland.

When all hope of finding something great seemed lost, the crew heard a huge splash and rushed to the edge of the boat, hoping that they had discovered the answer to their prayers. The men searched until they spotted it: a fish so large, a couple of them initially mistook it for a whale. There was no time for celebration, instead they readied the means to catch the behemoth! Dispatching a single whaleboat of five men, they tracked the fish for miles, until the main ship was out of sight. Unwilling to return empty-handed, the small crew- which included Mr. Furo- decided they had no option other than to risk an early attack.

With no protest or hesitation, each fisherman assumed his station at the rope as Mr. Furo gave the spear a throw so powerful that it would have broken the back of a lesser man. The shocking display of strength paid off when all five men heard the satisfying THUD of a pointed end embedding itself into the slippery body of its target. The line-holders tightened their grip on the rope in anticipation of the fight that... was already upon them! A portion of line came loose from their hands when the motion of the giant caught them off-guard.

"The line, Ryoshi!" one of the crew members shouted at Mr. Furo. Muscles bulged and veins popped from the man's arms as he dove for the line to prevent the monster from pulling them into the depths. The miracle fish dragged the dinky dinghy along like a demented horse and carriage before he thought of a plan. He called for his men to tighten their grips as he reached into the cloth pouch that rest tied on his hip. He stood up in the bouncing boat as his hand fumbled around inside, until he pulled out the cherry bomb he had been saving for the homecoming celebration. He cupped it in his hand with his thumb lining the fuse while his men stared, confused. "Hunker down!" he commanded, as he bent down and pulled his thumb across the wooden edge of the boat, igniting the wick. He burned and splintered himself in the process, but that mattered about as much as giving his son a comfortable place to sleep. He let the explosive cook in his hand for a second or two before launching it directly into the path of the fish. The firework detonated just as it hit the water, sending more than just a hardy ocean spray back at the men on the boat. Before they had time to react, however, the rope, and the boat, lurched suddenly in the opposite direction as the startled sea-beast turned around.

That day, Ryoshi Furo sailed his crew to safety in tow of a giant fish.

* * *

Shio finished recounting the story only to meet Hoseki's impatient gaze. _So that's what I have to do, huh? Hoseki is the giant fish, and I have to get him to pull me to victory._ Shio briefly eyed the scoreboard, until he jerked his head back down. _Did I really just take advice from one of Dad's stupid fishing tales?_ He shook the thought out of his head and looked at his hand- nothing that could use the two ruby dragons' power against them. _Then_ _I just have to hope he gives me the chance. Come on Hoseki, ending it this way would be boring, and you know it._ With that thought, he paused. He had an idea.

"So that's it?" Shio asked. Hoseki looked at him, puzzled.

"What?" he responded with a confused expression.

"You're just going to sit there with two of the same monster and attack me three times? What kind of entertainment is that? I bet the crowd out there is pretty bored!" The dragon master's vexed look changed to one of annoyance and disgust. He knew Shio was right.

 _Fine_ , Hoseki thought before shouting back, "I didn't want to make things any more complicated than necessary for your first duel, but- I can't let you taunt me like this in front of an audience!"

Hoseki put on his best fake smile, which resembled the look of a possessed child trying to feign harmlessness, and declared his second Main Phase before turning to where the judges would be seated if they were visible. "Do you want to see something... exhilarating?" He allowed time for the people to cheer, approximating the duration since they weren't currently audible, before answering their supposed demands. "Alright then!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air to excite the crowd further. He was enjoying this.

Smiling back at Shio, this time with sincerity, he spoke. "Shio, my dear friend. I know you have only recently studied the rules, but do you remember what happens when you have two monsters of the same Level?"

Shio searched his memory for the answer, but his father was right; it is harder to focus when you stay up all night. "Sorry, I can't remember." _Where is he going with this exactly?_

"Well allow me to remind you, as well as everybody watching!" He cheated his body towards one particular side of the audience and announced, "Using my two Level 8 Luster Dragon Number 3s, I build the Overlay Network!"

 _Wait! I think I remember this_ , Shio realized. _I don't like where this is going._

Hoseki raised his hand into the air once again, and a gigantic swirling black vortex appeared on the grid beneath his feet. It looked as if a portal to the vacuum of space had opened, with unmoving stars decorating the other world as it turned along the ground. Shio watched as the two dragons that had inspired so much fear transformed into nothing more than purple orbs of pure energy, glowing dimly as they made an arc straight into the center of the void.

"Dulled dragon of gem's creation!" Hoseki chanted solemnly, as the starry vortex began to reflect a deep orange color. Something was approaching from the vast emptiness of space and emerging right where the two Luster Dragon #3s previously resided!

"Take form from the fiery depths!" continued Hoseki with building enthusiasm, while the image of a humongous boulder, easily twice the size of the dragons, rose from the portal, cracking and crumbling as it made its way through the ground.

"And exact your revenge on the fools who sullied your brilliance!" Pure anger echoed through the cave, and a bright red shone through the cracks, as glowing magma oozed from inside. The hellish crag trembled, violently projecting burst after burst of molten rock, until no longer did it glow, giving a momentary reprieve of calmness before the outer shell completely exploded without warning, sending shards of fake shrapnel flying in all directions, passing harmlessly through Shio, although he still blinked and covered his eyes.

"Xyz Summon! Rank 8! Faded Topaz Dragon!"

When Shio looked back at Hoseki's field, it was now occupied by the largest- anything- he had ever seen. This new dragon looked nothing like the others: aside from its sheer size, its matte bronze scales did not shimmer like a gem, instead suggesting its colors were dulled by the layer of soot that coated its entire body. From its hardy core sprouted powerful arms whose spikes coalesced into massive stalagmites on each elbow, approximately twice the length of the menacing claws that embellished each of the beast's fingers. Similar spines traveled all the way from its neck, down the back and along the tail, which was at least two meters thick at the base. The wings- full and capable this time- filled nearly the entire width of the arena with their imposing presence, casting a shadow over the field. What stood out the most on this titanic dragon, however- above its sharp mouth lined with razor-like teeth and scythe-shaped spikes that adorned its face like mandibles on an insect, beneath its heavily-armored forehead fortified by a thick set of frills resembling those of a triceratops, shone two entrancing yellow eyes.

(Rank: 8 | ATK: 3500 | DEF: 2800)

Shio knew now not to fear these holograms, but the tremendous stature of the monstrosity that had just burst from a hunk of molten rock that appeared from a space vortex still intimidated the novice duelist. His mild hesitance turned into admiration, however, when he saw Hoseki's face. Instead of the self-satisfied smirk that he usually wore, Hoseki smiled just as truthfully as before he summoned that dragon. _He is actually having fun now_ , thought Shio.

"I'm gonna be honest with you, Hoseki," Shio called from across the room, "I have no idea what either of us is about to do, but I can promise you one thing!"

"What's that, mate?" Hoseki inquired lightly.

"It's gonna be a blast!" Shio smiled at Hoseki. Hoseki smiled and nodded in return. "So don't hold anything back!"

"I wouldn't dream of it!" Hoseki glanced down at his Disk for a moment as both boys refocused on the duel. "So let's go!" He raised his hand into the air one more time, shouting excitedly, "I detach one Overlay Unit from my Faded Topaz Dragon to activate its effect!"

Only at this point did Shio notice that the purple balls of light from earlier- the former Luster Dragon #3s- were now orbiting Hoseki's new servant. _That's right, when you Xyz Summon, the monsters you use for the summon become Overlay Units that you detach to use effects._ Perhaps his late night had not totally deprived him of his memory after all. One of the orbs stopped moving, then with a pop, it was gone in an instant.

"When I use the effect of my dragon, I discard one card and make you banish one from your hand!" Hoseki slipped one card from his hand into the Graveyard slot on his Duel Disk, then pointed at the cards Shio grasped in his left hand. "What're you gonna choose?

"So you're going after my hand, huh? That's a dirty move!" complained Shio, although he was not truly angry.

"I don't trust that facade for a second! You got something up your sleeve?" he poked back.

"With these cards? I wish I did!" he retorted as he placed a card from his hand into the Banish slot.

Hoseki opened his mouth, ready to declare the end of his turn but was cut short by something on his Duel Disk. When he saw it, his eyed widened, and he looked up at Shio, mouth agape. The other boy stared back at him, head cocked and half-smiling.

"The card I banished from my hand is called Necroface," Shio explained to both Hoseki and the invisible audience. _Looks like I haven't let them down after all. Thanks for the second chance, Hoseki._ "When it gets banished, both players have to banish the top five cards of their deck!"

"You really had me going there! I thought you'd just up and quit!" he commented, face still frozen smiling in disbelief.

"Well we wanted to make this more interesting, didn't we?" he responded. "So let's keep going!"

Necroface, never did Shio imagine a monster so disturbing in appearance would be the one that offered him a second chance. Beneath a blue, cracking, decrepit mask that resembled the face of a newborn child, floated a mass of bulging pink tissue, like the cancerous musculature of a horrible experiment gone dangerously awry. From all around- the brain, the ears, beneath the chin- pink fleshy tentacles wriggled and writhed. This floating monstrosity was briefly projected onto the field before its nightmarish form swirled out of existence, like water down a drain.

Both boys banished the top five cards of their decks. Shio paid no attention to Hoseki's cards, but he did want to make sure his own strategy was not foiled by the effect. _Allure of Darkness, Gren Maju Da Eiza, Drowning Mirror Force, Gold Sarcophagus, Red Resonator. Good, I can win this_ … _I hope._

Hoseki chimed in just as Shio had finished his thought, "You better hope you can win on your next turn, because you're gonna have a bloody tough time making it through mine! I set two cards face-down and pass it over to you." The holograms of two card backs fizzled into existence behind the towering dragon.

"Well with any luck, I won't have to!"

Hoseki nodded as if to say, "We'll see," as Shio placed his hand on his deck, clutching the card on top. It felt inexplicably warm. _I hope that's a good sign._ His first duel ever, and his life's purpose, would be decided here.

"Draw!"

 **Turn 4 - Shio (LP: 50 | Hand: 4)**

Time slowed down as Shio looked at the card he had just received. His mouth stood open for a few seconds while Hoseki leaned forward, anxiously waiting to see if this reaction was good or bad for him.

 _Pot of Desires_ , Shio read. _This is exactly the chance I needed._ When he brought his eyes back level with his opponent's, both of them knew the answer to Hoseki's question.

"I activate Pot of Desires!" Shio exclaimed. "By banishing the top ten cards of my deck face-down, I get to draw two more cards!"

 _No way_ , thought Hoseki, _he actually did it, the madman!_

Shio thumbed his way along the now-uncomfortably-thin deck of cards in his Duel Disk, settling below the second from the top. He picked up both and read the first name. _Mystical Space Typhoon. That might help me out if something else goes wrong. I can play this from my hand at any time on my turn._ He looked at the second card. _Soul Absorption. Life Points when cards get banished? That would have been nice about ten seconds ago, but it's useless to me now._ Neither card was particularly game-changing at the moment, but the cards he drew were not what mattered to him. He looked straight into Hoseki's eyes.

"That's quite a big monster you have there," he joked, referencing the Faded Topaz Dragon on the other side of the field, "It's such a shame it won't be here for long."

"What're you on about?" protested Hoseki, but he knew exactly what Shio was planning, and it bode very ill for his monster.

"By discarding Soul Absorption from my hand, I activate the Equip Spell, D.D.R. - Different Dimension Reincarnation to Special Summon my banished Gren Maju Da Eiza!" A blue grid phased into existence, hanging horizontally in the air, reality rippling and swirling like water as a grotesque red claw reached into the duel from another world.

Hoseki interrupted, raising his hand. "I don't think so. I activate my set Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your DDR. You won't summon that thing that easily!"

From Hoseki's card, a violent cyclone emerged, engulfing that which Shio had played, closing off the monster's dimensional door around the arm that had already come through. As the monster's appendage fell to the ground shattering, Shio stood perfectly still. His strategy, his father's advice, everything had been ruined with one simple card. The duel was over, and with it, Shio lost his chance at a life of adventure and competition.

Hoseki noticed Shio's astonished expression and knew the other boy was out of options. "It's okay, mate," he began to console, "You can always come back next year!"

But next year he'd have missed his chance. Next year, he would already be a fisherman with no time for dueling. Next year, Mizumura would already depend on his work for its very survival. Next year might as well not exist.

 _No…_ he stopped, fists clenched. _I still have a chance._ Shio took one more look at his hand, trying to figure out what move he could make to save himself from the life he left behind. It was kind of hard to read the text on the cards with the shadow cast on the field by Hoseki's Xyz dragon. _Wait! That's it!_ Shio wasn't done yet!

Hoseki looked worried now. He could see Shio's mouth curling into a smile. "What?" he gasped. "Are you not giving up?"

"You think you're the only one here with an Extra Deck?" Shio asked proudly. "I didn't spend all night studying the rules for nothing! It may have taken me awhile to remember, but if there's one thing I've learned from my father, it's that the ocean always rewards patience!"

"Uhhh," Hoseki stuttered, noticeably confused by the fishing metaphor, but also attempting to hide his nervousness. "What, did you remember how to surrender?" he timidly guessed.

"Not even close," Shio replied. "So Hoseki, tell me something."

"Tell you what?"

"If you know all the moves I can make with this deck, what's gonna happen when I activate this?" Shio picked a card out of his hand and held it high into the air before slamming it into his Duel Disk. As the hologram displayed the card, Hoseki could no longer hide his shock.

"Resonator Call?! No way!"

"That's right! I add Red Resonator from my deck to my hand! But he won't be staying there for long! I Normal Summon, Red Resonator!"

A red floating ember materialized on the field, its mischievous crimson eyes the only facial features not shrouded by the metal helmet that sat atop its purple sash. In one hand, it held a stick with a red orb on the end, and in the other, a thin yellow tuning fork.

(Level: 2 | ATK: 600 | DEF: 200 | TUNER)

Hoseki knew what was coming next.

"Now, I activate the effect of my monster! When Red Resonator is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one Level four or lower monster from my hand!"

Within a cloud of fog, the figure of a stick-thin woman rose from the ground, covered in black rigid armor. Her helmet obscured her eyes, leaving only the lower half of her face exposed, the only place on her body that revealed her pale blue skin. From the back of the helmet extended a flowing stream of cerulean hair.

"Say hello to Elemental HERO - Shadow Mist!"

(Level: 4 | ATK: 1000 | DEF: 1500)

" _You're_ going to Synchro Summon?" Hoseki commented skeptically.

"Well," Shio replied, "First, I'm going to use Shadow Mist's effect to add a Mask Change to my hand!" A card ejected from his deck into his waiting grasp. "And n-!"

"Now!" Hoseki interrupted with an evil smile, "I activate my Continuous Trap Card: Avaricious Retribution!" The pink card that appeared displayed an enraged Luster Dragon #3 incinerating a group of villagers with its mighty attack.

"What!?" Shio clenched his fists.

"I send 1 Luster Dragon monster from my deck to the Graveyard!" He placed a Normal Monster into his Graveyard. "But that's not all! As long as it remains face-up on the field, I get to destroy one of your monsters every time one of my Dragons enters the afterlife!"

 _Oh no_ , Shio panicked. _I can get around this effect if he doesn't make the right decision, but won't he also get to summon another monster from the Spell Card?_

"Oh," Hoseki laughed, pretending he had only just remembered, "And I also activate the effect of Gem Dragon's Luster! The power of my Dragons is utterly unmatched! I'm sorry Shio, but it looks like you cannot outshine a Gem Dragon, even one that's covered in ash." The eye on the card began to glow a deep green once again.

At this point, Shio was beginning to doubt the sincerity of his opponent's previous attitude. _Could Hoseki really have just been feigning his change of heart as an act?_ But now was not the time for questioning his motivations, now was the time for beating him and impressing all the people watching. He looked at his hand. _And I think I might know just what I need to do._

"I'm not just going to sit here and let you take this away from me!" Shio shouted confidently. "From my hand, I activate a card you might remember! Mystical Space Typhoon!"

Hoseki's eyes widened again. _Oh no, he's going to prevent me from destroying his monster._

"And I use it on Gem Dragon's Luster!" With a very serious look on his face, staring directly into Hoseki's eyes, he pointed at the glowing Spell Card.

Hoseki was silent. He was completely flustered by the fact that Shio, with only two weak monsters on the field, would allow one to be destroyed in favor of preventing his opponent from summoning one. Now he wouldn't be able to Synchro Summon. Even as the potent gust erased the hologram of the Dragon's eye, Hoseki's face remained unmoving.

"Okay then," he finally regained himself, "I guess I'll destroy Shadow Mist!"

But for some reason, Shio was grinning now. Did he have a way out of this situation? Immediately, Hoseki realized his mistake. In his confusion and overconfidence, he had impulsively chosen to destroy the wrong monster.

"I'd like to thank you for the duel, Hoseki," Shio said with a confidence, the likes of which he had never expressed before. "It's been an _exhilarating_ experience, and I can't wait to do it again… in the League!" He held up his index finger. "But before you introduce me to the crew, I'd like you to say hello to an old friend of _mine_!" he said as he tapped the screen on his Duel Disk and began emptying his entire hand and Graveyard into the Banish slot, save one card.

"By banishing seven cards from my hand, field, or Graveyard, I can revive my Fairy Tail - Snow!" The card that had been destroyed at the beginning of the duel was eagerly inserted into the monster slot, and the lovely white rabbit hopped up and down triumphantly upon her return.

(Level: 4 | ATK: 1850 | DEF: 1000)

"And now, I tune the Level 4 Fairy Tail - Snow with the Level 2 Red Resonator!" Both monsters disintegrated immediately. What was once a bright ember became two large rings floating in the air, while the rabbit's energy split into four green spheres. As the balls of light traversed through the rings, Shio began to chant, somehow knowing exactly what to say.

"Riding healer of legend! Return to your master and unleash the power of the forgotten demon heroes!"

A blinding light filled the entire room, but Shio continued.

"Synchro Summon! Level Six! Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Horse Prince!"

The light faded, and on the field stood a majestic steed of pure blue fire whose glow banished the shadows of the behemoth Dragon. The flames that flickered off the limbs and head of this creature did not, however, disturb the armored equestrian upon its back. His ornate helmet even emitted the same flames, indistinguishable from his flowing hair. Grand pauldrons protected his broad shoulders, while the reflection of the horse's light danced on his glistening iron chestplate. Faulds of the same orange-trimmed design as the rest of the outfit spread outward in the same way the warrior's thighs straddled the horse, appearing to be supported by an undercurrent of wind. Perhaps it was just from the red-hot flaming aura that engulfed the duo.

(Level: 6 | ATK: 2200 | DEF: 2200)

Hoseki's face told that he knew the unimpressive Attack and Defense points of this monster did not matter. He knew exactly why Shio had summoned it.

"When Horse Prince is Synchro Summoned, I can Special Summon one Level 3 FIRE monster from my deck!" The warrior lifted his arm and reached backwards, pulling something from within Shio's deck. A transparent, tear-shaped mass of red energy came from within his Duel Disk while the monster guided it onto the field with his hand. The spirit sunk into the ground, and in its place emerged a terrifying demon. Green and muscular underneath, this creature seemed to protect itself with a lobster-like exoskeleton, but only sparsely- its innards showed through gaps in its ribcage and arm plating. Atop its stocky torso rested a head with no discernible facial features, only two sets of horns jutting out of the side like thorns protecting a cactus. Pointed scarlet wings, filled in with magenta membrane, kept the creature suspended in the air to make up for its lack of legs, as only a long, snakelike tail comprised the lower half of its body. Most notably, however, the blood-soaked claws from before looked even more menacing with the rest of the monster behind them.

"I summon: Gren Maju Da Eiza!"

(ATK: ? | DEF: ? | Level: 3)

Hoseki knew that this time, there was nothing he could do unless Shio had miscounted his cards.

"You know what this monster does, don't you? That's why you were so eager to stop me from summoning him before!"

"Yes," Hoseki conceded, voice shaking, "It gains 400 Attack and Defense Points for each of your banished cards..."

"That's right! So let's count them up!" Shio turned to where the judges were hidden and began to enumerate his banished resources. "Necroface- that's one! Plus five from its effect! Ten from Pot of Desires! And seven from Fairy Tail - Snow! That makes twenty-three banished cards! Since my monster gains 400 for each, it now has a grand total of ninety-two hundred Attack Points!"

(ATK: 9200 | DEF 9200 | Level: 3)

He could practically hear the bewildered spectators' roaring cheers from seeing such a large amount of Attack Points.

"No way..." Hoseki mumbled in disbelief. He was actually about to be beaten by a first-time duelist...

"Now, let's end this duel! Gren Maju Da Eiza! Attack Faded Topaz Dragon!" The monster's wings pointed straight up as its arms drooped downwards. With a single flap, it was speeding like a bullet, straight towards the head of Hoseki's servant. Topaz roared loudly as the lobster devil approached its face, but it was hideously outmatched. In a single swipe of its claw, Shio's monster annihilated the Dragon, and the entirety of Hoseki's Life Points.

(ATK: 9200 - ATK: 3500 = 5700 DAMAGE | Hoseki LP: 4000 → **0** )

 **WINNER: SHIO**

* * *

Author's note:

All original cards can be downloaded for use in YGOPro (Links beta) from my profile.


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